The Captain Chronicles 6: The Collectors
by StarKayak
Summary: Children are disappearing, two on one planet, three on another. Different species, different cultures. The best and brightest on their planet. There is no pattern, no evidence-they just disappear. Jack Harkness goes undercover with his team to locate them and bring them home, but he too is taken. When Jack awakens he does not know where he is, or when. Sixth story in the series.
1. Chapter 1: Missing

The sprawled figure on the floor arced as a rasping gasp filled the darkness. Starving lungs desperately sucked in oxygen as the limbs flailed reaching out, but no one was there. Jack Harkness pulled in the icy air again as he pushed his body off the floor, coughing. He rolled onto his back, breathing in ragged gulps. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a thin sliver of light on the floor. A door? Jack shivered and pushed himself up to a sitting position, pulling his coat around him. He then systematically examined his body. Pants, suspenders, shirt, shoes…all there. He quickly touched his wrist, and sighed in bitter disappointment. The wrist strap was gone. He reached down to where the Webley holster should have been and cursed_._

Jack's hand reached to rub the back of his pounding head; the blood was crusting, still sticky. _Didn't see that coming_ he thought ruefully. As his mind cleared, he remembered leaving the Serrelian bar with the two targets, hoping to get more information now that he had established a relationship. Two days of hard drinking and flirting plus five days of surveillance wasted. Was it the man or the woman, or were they dead too? His body ached as the bruises healed and he could tell that he must have been severely beaten while unconscious. Did his team know? He quickly felt behind his left ear, and found drying blood there too. The tracking device his team had carefully hidden was gone. He closed his eyes leaning back against the wall. Now he really was alone.

The Captain strained as he listened and watched the sliver of light beneath the door. Nothing. No sound or shadow indicating a guard on the other side of the door. No echo of distant walking or murmur of other prisoners, nothing Jack looked around the room in the dim light, making out a bed bolted to left wall, a small sink and commode in the back corner, no windows, one door. The small red eye of a camera pointed from the front of the room, the familiar design of a cell. _That's what's wrong with prisons these days,_ he thought bitterly. _No imagination_.

Jack slowly stood, then leaned against the wall, joints aching in the cold. He slid his hand on the wall as he made his way to the door. Tile. Not a good sign. _Easy to clean blood from tile,_ he thought_. Practical for interrogation…or execution._ He been on both sides of the door and knew the signs.

He tried the handle. Locked. After he ran his hand over the cold steel to examine the shape, he knew it held no promise of escape. Looking back at the rest of the room he could see at least there was a cot of sorts and quilt could serve as a blanket. He made his way to the bed and carefully laid down avoiding pressuring the aching left side, then pulled the quilt over his coat. So cold.

The Jack's stomach grumbled as he turned on his side to get comfortable. _Hungr_y. He didn't want to think about. His body needed rest to continue healing and get ready for what comes next. Jack Harkness drew the quilt closer and tried to fall asleep. Where was he? More important, when was he? The silence was disquieting. "Next" played on his mind. There was always a "next".


	2. Chapter 2: The Doctor

"Who are they?" Clara had been rummaging through the clutter scattered across the surface the Doctor used for a desk, trying to create some sort of order. She held up a photo of a man, woman, and child. He continued to ignore her as he studied the star charts at the console. Clara wasn't sure she liked this twelfth regeneration. This crusty old man was often rude and distant, and she missed his earlier self, the flirty mischievous raggedy man. She walked over to the console and placed the picture on the star chart. "Any one special?"

The Doctor pushed the picture aside and looked up in annoyance. "Why do you ask?"

"I want to know if you wanted me to file it."

He turned back to the charts.

"Looks like a family. Maybe put it in a frame?"

He sighed and slowly turned to her. "It's my daughter Jen and granddaughter Toshi."

Clara looked closely at the trim blonde woman with her hand around her daughter's shoulder. The girl looked about sixteen with deep blue eyes and a thatch of unruly black hair.

She peered more closely at the handsome soldier standing on the left in a long military coat, his blue eyes sparkling with the promise of mischief. "And the man?"

"Jack," the Doctor looked back at his charts. "He goes by Captain Jack Harkness, but I don't know his real name." He pulled another chart from the weathered tube lying on the floor, carefully smoothing it out on the table. "Former Time Agent, traveled with me for awhile and ran Torchwood on Earth, before it was blown up."

"And now?"

"He works with Interstellar Nature Conservancy. They both do."

"You are a man of many secrets," she teased as she made her way to the other side of the console and stood across from him. "You didn't tell me you had a family."

"Never came up," he said flatly as he checked the coordinates on the map. "Her name is Jennifer…she was created from a sample of my tissue. Full grown soldier she was. Didn't get much time with her."

Clara arched her eyebrows in surprise then folded her arms. "Don't see them much, do you?"

"Busy, busy, things to do…" He looked up noting the scowl on her face. "Don't look at me like that. I see them on occasion. Spent time with Toshi introducing her to all things Galifreyan. I think she is in university now." He shrugged. "Really…and I come with they need me…just need to call."

Clara looked down. There was something about the man that seemed familiar. Maybe the smile. It was a nice smile. She sighed and went back to the cluttered desk and put the picture on the side. She would frame it later, when she was finished.


	3. Chapter 3 Connecting the Dots

"How can my brother just disappear?" Gray growled as he slapped the table in frustration. "The tracker, the wrist strap, we should be able to locate him!" He tapped another code into his wrist strap and sent the message. No response.

Chi frowned at the screen shaking his head. The Adyan tried other channels of the tracker to widen the tracking area and dialed up the frequency. Nothing. He called up the camera on the Serrelia and watched the planet slowly turn against the web of stars.

"Should we call Jenny?"

"No!" snapped Gray. "Jack would never forgive us. Mara took Jenny and her TARDIS back to hospital on Caputo 7 for the delivery."

They both knew this second pregnancy was difficult, and the Catkin doctor was taking no chances with the mother or child. Gallifreyans were a rare breed, and Jenny was the rarest of all. It was difficult to predict how her body changed with each regeneration…or even if it would regenerate at all. The first pregnancy with Toshi was relatively easy, but this one… had complications. Mara had worked with the Sisters of Plenitude before and knew they would know what to do.

"What about Toshi and Ajit?"

"No," Chi said. "University finals are next month. The Captain would not want to worry his daughter or Ajit. He knows how to get out of tight spots. His cover was good, no one should know about him in this part of the galaxy."

"The Doctor?"

"Last resort," Chi muttered, "and not a reliable one at that." He turned back to the console. "Let's go over the data."

Gray retrieved the files and threw data analysis on the screen of the table and the pictures of the children up on the virtual screen. The ship loaned to them from the Interstellar Conservancy for the mission was not as good as Jenny's TARDIS, but it had the latest technology. The room shimmered with the faces of lost children going back ten years. Chi suspected the pattern may have been there even longer, just not detected until the Conservancy and Shadow Proclamation merged their data banks last year. The faces of children from every conceivable culture floated in the air before them.

The disappearances were hardly noticed by the planetary authorities who kept such records—only a handful from each culture but they had one thing in common. Each child was exceptional, each had a talent, an ability that shown above the rest. One girl showed promise in theoretical physics, another child in tactical strategy in games, and a third was known for his great beauty. All disappeared before the age of sixteen. Some vanished before the age of ten, but most of these were shapeshifters. The humanoids were taken at adolescence, a time when individual talents emerged. Other species showed similar patterns of abduction, a sampling of the cultures of the universe. The vanishings took place in waves, nothing for several years, a surge of abductions of no more than two or three within a month, then nothing again.

The pattern of abduction was similar. Their investigation revealed that each child had predictable schedules. They simply disappeared when they were walking alone from one place to another: home to school, classroom to classroom, on route to a friend's house or music lesson. No stranger was seen lingering in the area before or after the disappearance. No ransom was demanded, and none were heard from again.

The Conservancy had sent other operatives out to determine what was going on. All were taught a specific code so they could recognize each other. The work was difficult since it was assumed due to the wide scale of the problem, that some of those charged with the protection of the planet, might be cooperating with the kidnappers. Several of the Conservancy operatives had gone undercover and also disappeared. It was hoped that these investigations would bear fruit, but little came of it as the few solid leads that petered out.

Jack heard about the inquiry through the grapevine of gossip in the Conservancy. Gray remembered the haunted look on his face when he heard. He knew his brother had a checkered past, but Gray did not know the guilt Jack endured was deeply buried in the nightmare of a face, a tethered child in a tank with a monster that never left. Jack immediately offered to volunteer his team for the mission and go undercover. After his experience with the 4-5-6, he took a keen interest in any case that crossed his desk involving a child. The Conservancy already had their hands full dealing with the plundering trade and was grateful when Jack and his team stepped up.

Gray shook his head. "We've been over this a million times. One minute they are home and happy, the next…nothing. No suspicious strangers, no evidence of a struggle. They just vanish!"

Chi folded his arms and stepped back. "Where was Jack last?"

Gray pulled up the system. "He was in the city Citron working on the lead from the Judoon. The Shadow Proclamation had intelligence on a couple of silk traders. They were often seen in the area at the same time as the abductions. But there was no evidence that they were involved, just speculation. Jack chatted them up at their stall in the Citronan market looking to buy Serrilian scarves. Just another soldier looking for trinkets for his lovers."

"Just conversation?" asked Chi.

"You know Jack," Gray smiled. "A little flirting and such goes a long way."'

"The 'and such' worries me," said Chi thoughtfully. "A jealous husband can be a problem."

"Or wife," said Gray. "I'm sure he was careful. The plan was to attach a tracking device after he picked up the package, but they asked him to come with them to a bar across from their stall for a drink." Gray leaned back in his chair. "Jack went into the bar, but they sat at a blind spot out of camera range. Less then five minutes later when I checked back…he vanished from the grid."

"What about the couple?"

"I checked with the local authorities. They packed up their goods and left the next day, but most traders were leaving at the end of the week also. However, there was no flight plan logged for their ship, but the authorities were a bit sloppy on that. Many of the merchants left without logging a flight plan.

Chi sighed and turned to peer at the faces of the children suspended in the air. "I want to think on this." He pulled a chair in the middle and sat down.

"I'll go check on our supplies." Gray said as he stood. " Let me know if you come up with something."

Gray went back to the storeroom, checked on food supplies and weapons, listing the necessary replacements. Little was needed could be found locally. Several hours passed while he visited the local shops to purchase the needed items and put them in store room.

When Gray returned Chi was still deep in thought.

"See anything?"

"Maybe. Try arranging the pictures by geographic area."

Gray grouped them. No pattern.

"Now by the dates of each surge."

Chi was quiet. He paced around the table, looking at the data from different perspectives.

"Now merge them on a star map on the hologram." The faces of the children were replaced by glowing dots and dates scattered across space.

Chi stared at the map intently for several minutes. Pulling a chair to the center, he sat and peered at the glittering data suspended before him. Finally he stood, took the light marker, and drew arrows following the dates of each surge cluster, and turned to Gray.

"Here." He pointed to the point of convergence. " There is a progression. They are picking up their victims on the way to this quadrant." Gray pulled up the planetary systems in this area. Of the fifteen star systems with eighty-three orbiting planets, twelve of the planets could support life. Twelve, most were level-five planets with sparely populated primitive civilizations who had not yet achieved space travel.

"Contact the Conservancy and Judoon to find out if there have been any unexplained disappearances in the area where Jack vanished, and see if there is a directional pattern. And ask them for more information on that couple." Chi pulled up a image of a man and woman dressed in the flowing robes of Serrialan traders. " Jack mentioned that they were familiar to him."


	4. Chapter 4 The Commander

Light flooded the cell. Jack propped himself up with one arm on the cot, shielding his eyes with the other. The door swung open. Three silhouetted figures stood at the door. As his eyes adjusted, he could see two guards with one hand on their side arms standing on either side of a tall, thin man in military dress. The uniform was not a design that Jack recognized. The black material lay on the skin like armour. As he scrambled to his feet, the guards pulled their weapons. Jack slowly raised his hands as he backed against the wall.

The man in the middle gestured to the guards who lowered their weapons. Jack cautiously lowered his hands in response. The man in the center folded his arms, his eyes coldly locked on Jack's face. His elongated face and blued skin gave him a dour expression. That combined with probing amber eyes ran a shiver down Jack's spine.

"What is your name?"

"Captain Jack Harkness."

"I doubt it."

Jack started to speak again, but the man held up his right hand to silence him. The Captain's heart fell as he noticed his wrist strap clutched in the man's left hand.

"Why are you here?"

"You tell me," retorted Jack.

One guards stepped forward and slapped Jack hard, causing him to stagger while the other stepped behind the Captain, twisted his arms back and drove him to his knees.

Jack spit the blood out of his mouth as he glared up at the alien.

"What is your name?"

"Captain…"

The guard raised his hand to hit him again, but the alien again raised his hand.

"Commander?" the guard asked.

"Pull him up," he ordered

The guard behind the captive forced him to his feet, The Commander stepped forward and grabbed Jack's chin as he tried to turn away.

"So what they said is true," he murmured as he wiped away the blood with his thumb to expose the quickly healing skin. The Commander pulled out a cloth, wiped his hand, then pocketed it. He then stepped back cocking his head to the side. "There is no one on record named Captain Jack Harkness."

He held up the wrist strap, stroking the worn leather. "Or should I call you Time Agent Harkness?"

Jack was silent.

"You asked inconvenient questions in the market, Time Agent." The Commander pocketed the wrist strap, and moved closer to Jack. "Who sent you?"

"No one."

The Commander looked skeptical and then nodded to the second guard who drew a knife. Jack held his breath as the guard came nearer, and pressed it against his throat.

"Who sent you?"

"No one." Jack repeated. "I don't know what you are talking about!"

The Commander glowered at the defiant prisoner for a moment, then a slow malevolent smile spread over his face, but the eyes remained hard as he turned to the guards.

"Strip him," he ordered. "But don't tear the clothing. I want it scanned and tested, especially the coat."

He came closer to Jack, fingering the collar. "The coat is quite striking, Captain. If you are a captain ..." The guard roughly pulled off the garment and handed it to the Commander who smoothed the nap of the closely woven wool. "Interesting. You Time Agents have always had a thing for military uniforms."

The second guard pushed Jack back on the cot and ordering him to undress. The Captain reluctantly complied, handing over the items in a jumbled pile. He shivered in the chill and reached to pull the quilt around him.

"Leave it," ordered the Commander. "Stand."

Jack glared, then slowly stood, facing the alien.

The guard returned, stood behind the prisoner, quickly twisting his arms around his back.

The Commander put his hand on the prisoner's chest and slowly ran it down his chest noting the muscular build. Jack stared straight ahead. He never had been embarrassed being nude, but right then he wanted nothing more than to be shielded from his captor's gaze, as the man handled him like a horse on auction.

"Fine specimen" he noted to the first guard. "A bit old, but he could attract a buyer." He moved his hand back to the jaw noting that the cut had completely healed. "And there are other qualities."

He tipped the jaw up as Jack glared back. "But first I want to know who you are, and who sent you."

"I told you my name," growled Jack. "No one sent me."

The Commander stepped back and pursed his lips. Finally he looked at the first guard who held the struggling prisoner, "Maloc, find out who he is and the group he works for. Use whatever tools you deem effective short of killing him."

Maloc's eyes narrowed. "Anything?"

"Anything."

Maloc pulled Jack's arms far back, and used his knee to force him to his knees, smiling as his captive cried out as the pain shot through his shoulders.

The Commander turned to the second guard. "Cle, keep a record on how his body responses, how fast he heals. It may be important to a buyer." He started towards the door and turned back, "And get these cells to the proper heating. Our guests will be arriving within the week and we don't want them ill before the auction. When you're finished with the interrogation, get this one some clothes. I need to speak with the agents that found him." He picked up the neatly stacked pile of clothing, opened the door and firmly shut it behind him.

Jack grimaced with pain as he was pushed to his knees on the cold tile floor, and felt the cutting steel as his wrists were manacled. He resigned himself to what he knew would now come next, knowing that he would endure whatever pain they inflicted on him. There was no other choice.


	5. Chapter 5 The Conservancy

Gray offered their visitor tea as he took his place around the conference table. The Judoon captain declined politely and proceeded to the task on hand, spreading out the contents of his file on the table. Several pictures of a blonde woman and man spread in in a line. The first was surveillance shots of two merchants in a silk stall at the Citronian market.

"This is the last picture we have of them just before Jack made contact." Captain Taiq said. He was quiet spoken for a Judoon, a race of rhinoceros-headed galactic police more known for their thuggish ways. He then pushed an older picture faded and worn around the edges. The picture was slightly blurred, but the pair was recognizable. Both wore vintage military coats. The man was dressed in a WWII German captain jacket while the woman sported a fitted Galiesen corporal vest.

Gray looked closely at the image and groaned. Vortex manipulators were strapped to their wrists. "Time Agents."

"I'm surprised Jack didn't recognize them," murmured Chi as he studied the picture. "There's not that many of them left."

"They might have been in training," said the Judoon, "or out on an extended mission during his time. He may have seen their pictures on documents or saw them in passing."

"Or they are the reason why he's missing two years of memory," muttered Gray.

Captain Taiq pulled out a file listing all known time agents. "This is what we have been able to piece together to date. Only the Doctor has the ability to jump time, we don't have the technology," he said as he added the abductors' photograph to his file. "We only know of this lot when they make a mistake when visiting this century. These two have crossed here once before."

"Where they involved with children?" asked Chi.

The Judoon shook his head. "We thought they were involved in stealing survey mining material, but nothing could be proved. Then they disappeared."

"This makes no sense," complained Gray as he brought up his holographic survey of the system where Jack disappeared. "None of these planets has a civilization capable of space travel much less an operation of this scale. Did the Conservancy confirm our findings?"

"Yes. This is where all the patterns converge, replied the Judoon captain. He rose from his seat and placed his hand on Gray's shoulder. "We are concerned about your brother as you are, but even more about the children. Slavery has always been a problem in the galaxy: forced labor of minority populations captured in war, exploitation of the most base sort, but specifically targeting children is especially horrific. These children have unique talents and may be marketed for their abilities. The question is who are the buyers, and more important, where are the children now?"

The Judoon typed in a code pulled the shipping lane records for the past thirty years in this quadrant. "There is a record of missing cargo ships fifteen years ago."

"What kind of cargo?"

"Mostly mining. I think what we are looking for is hidden underground."

McGrath typed in a search of possible mining sites.

"There are fifteen possible sites. Where do we start?"

"Gray, when you were with John, Jack's old Time Agent partner," asked the Judoon, "did he teach you how to operate the wrist strap?"

"Some."

"Can you use it as a locator?"

"If Jack had it, he would have used it to contact us," replied Gray.

"But if it was taken off him, it is probably stored nearby," said the Judoon.

"I'll see what I can do." Gray shut down the holograph as the Captain Taiq gathered the photos into a file, and began to make his way to the door.

"Taiq?"

"He's not expendable," said Gray

The Judoon turned around. "What?"

"Don't let the Conservancy treat him like he's expendable."


	6. Chapter 6: Genna

"Clean him up," Maloc snapped as he pushed the old woman into the cell. "Commander Kai wants to see him in eight hours."

Genna glared at the guard as she put down her basket containing the change of linen. The old woman was small and wiry, her thick grey hair pulled into a knot and fastened by a beaded clasp. She knelt by the huddled figure curled on his side, examining the lacerations and bruising on the trembling back. After quickly taking a pulse, she took out a syringe out of her medical kit to ease the captive's suffering.

"That's not necessary, he can't die," Maloc said.

She shot another glare at the second guard in the doorway. Cle nodded his approval as he lowered his eyes and put his notes away. She quickly injected the sedative, and defiantly brought her gaze back to Maloc.

"Don't look at me like that, old woman!" he growled. "He'll live. Just make sure he's ready for the Commander." Maloc pointed to an orange prison uniform neatly folded in the corner, and both guards picked up their tools to leave. As Maloc closed the door, she could hear the lock snap into place.

Genna turned back to the man, noting the cuts on the back had already formed a protective scab. So the gossip around the compound was true, this was a man who could not die. In the cafeteria she had overheard Cle complaining about Maloc's treatment of the captive. As she examined the battered face and swelling, she wondered if this "gift" was a more a curse than blessing. The prisoner was semi-conscious and the quick shallow breathing indicated great pain. She gave him a second shot of the painkiller. The old woman went to the sink and filled a pail of warm water and returned to his side. Dipping a small hand towel in the water, she gently began to wash the cuts on the back and chest so they could heal without infection. She dried him, and carefully wrapped his torso in clean bandages. She pulled a hand scanner from her kit, and noted the broken ribs were also healing. The old woman carefully turned him on his back, placing pillows to make it easier for him to breathe.

After she emptied the water and returned with a fresh pail, she gently washed the clotted blood out of the hair. His face was still bruised by the savage beating, but his breath was now regular, and when she put her ear to his chest, the heartbeat was strong. In spite of the swelling, his face was handsome with the long lashes like a child. She felt his forehead, no fever.

Gena continued washing away the grime and blood from his arms, and unwrapped a blood stained bandage to examine the man's hands for fracture. She recoiled when she saw several fingers had been ripped of the right hand. She quietly cursed the guard for his cruelty. She cleaned the mangled hand, and carefully wrapped it. As she took the left hand, it closed around hers. She was startled to see blue eyes looking up at her.

"Thank you," he whispered hoarsely as he tried to smile.

Placing her other hand on his brow, she nodded and whispered, "Save your strength, son." She carefully lifted her eyes towards the glowing red light of the camera alerting him that all interaction was being recorded by his guards. He glanced at the light and looked back. He understood.

She returned with another bucket of warm water and began on his hips and legs. He winced as she cleaned the blood and grime away. Her expression darkened as she saw the charred marks and evidence of a thin blade. She looked back at his face. He took a deep breath as he shut his eyes, then turned away. The old woman carefully rubbed a healing salve on the wounds. Finally she finished washing the battered legs, and then drew up a quilt to cover his body. The heat had been turned up in the prison, but it was still cold in the cell.

"Thank you," he whispered again as she took his hand, holding it as he drifted off to sleep.

Genna careful placed his hands under the warmth of the quilt, and went to the task of cleaning the blood spatter from the walls and floor. As soon as the man was able, she would help him dress, and change the linen. The unblinking light of the camera watched her movements as it sent the image on to a bank of monitors in the central prison. When she finished, she pulled a chair next to his bed and sat quietly watching the rise and fall of his breathing. Although the staff had spent the last two weeks getting the cells ready for the next auction, he was the first prisoner.

The old woman reasoned that if she stayed with him through the night, it was less likely that Maloc would return to continue his abuse. She was hired by the Commander to be on the staff if nursing was required. This man was her patient. She felt the captive's forehead again. No fever, a good sign. The old woman pulled an extra quilt to her shoulders, bundled it around her shoulders, and settled on the chair for the night.


	7. Chapter 7 A Good Man

The firework display on Moc IV were as spectacular as the Doctor promised. Clara pulled her Christmas scarf closer to her face against the cold. The garment, a Christmas gift from the Doctor, was made from the labor of thousands of Mocian spiders that spun a material both strong and warm. As she watched the last of the sparkles fade from the night sky, she noted the mood of the man beside her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked.

The Doctor continued to stare ahead into the empty night sky with only a trace of lingering smoke from the pyrotechnic display. Finally he turned and looked at her.

"Remember, when I asked you," he said quietly "if I was a good man?"

Clara nodded.

He continued to stare at the night sky and said, "You asked me in the TARDIS if I had a family."

"You mean the picture?"

"No," he said quickly then frowned, "I mean 'yes'…but it's complicated."

Clara gazed at his troubled face.

"I once was a father…and a grandfather." He closed his eyes. "But that was before the Time War. What was left of my life…anything…anyone… is locked in a pocket of time and lost to me. But Jenny was different, she was created from my tissue, a soldier."

Clara stiffened. "Your daughter was a soldier? But I thought you didn't like…I was led to belief that…"

"Yes, violence is abhorrent to me," said the Doctor, "and I'm afraid I wasn't much of a father to her."

"Because she was a soldier?" asked Clara.

"Maybe, probably…" he said as he rose from his seat by the wall and turned to her. "I wasn't there for her. I didn't guide her like a father should."

"And the man?" Clara asked. "He had a military coat…"

"Jack…" the Doctor sighed. "He was a soldier too."

"I thought you said he was a Companion."

"Yes, one I abandoned when he needed me," the Doctor said as he turned. "I wonder if he thinks I'm a good man." He shivered and began to walk. "Show's over. Time to go back to the TARDIS."

Clara persisted. "Is that why you treated my Danny so poorly? Because he was a soldier?" She drew her cloak closer as they walked. She could see the TARDIS standing in the distance.

The Doctor stopped and closed his eyes. "I never know what a soldier will do. So quick to draw a weapon…"

"To protect the ones he loves," said Clara, her eyes flashing in anger. "Danny sacrificed his life for us. Not everyone has a sonic screwdriver or a TARDIS to go back in time to fix something. My Danny was a war hero." She began to walk ahead.

The Doctor took a deep breath and caught up, "I see that now." They continued to walk in silence together.

As they neared the door of TARDIS, the Doctor spoke again.

"There is a poem I heard a long time ago.

_Demons run when a good man goes to war._

_Night will fall and drown the sun,_

_When a good man goes to war._

_Friendship dies and true love lies,_

_Night will fall and the dark will rise,_

_When a good man goes to war._

_Demons run, but count the cost._

_The battle's won but the child is lost."_

Clara stopped in front of the door and looked at him quizzically.

"I see that in all of them. Danny, Jack, Mickey, Rory, the Brigadier…all soldiers, all good men."

"And Jenny too?" asked Clara.

"Yes," said the Doctor as he opened the door. "And Jenny too."

The Doctor took his place at the controls as the TARDIS engines began to rumble.

"Where are we going next?" asked Clara.

"To see them," said the Doctor. "To visit my family."


	8. Chapter 8 Time Agents

Jack woke with a start. His muscles still ached, but as he gingerly flexed each limb to confirm the broken bones had healed. Although his mind was still foggy, he recognized the old woman sleeping in the chair as the one who attended to him in the night. She was small, gray, and wizen, much like an old shepherd he knew as a child on the Boeshane Pennisula. The shepherd woman was called Mai. She would allow him to come and stay with her when his parents were away on assignment. She would let Jack work with her collies gathering the flock in for the night, and then sit with her as she spun the wool by the fire telling him stories. She listened to his five year-old hopes and dreams, and was the closest thing he had to a grandmother on the colony. He always felt safe with her.

As he attempted to sit up, Genna woke with a jolt.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she moved to help him up.

"Better."

She rested her hand on his brow noting the fever had passed.

She reached into the basket of remaining linens, and pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to him. Jack drank quickly as she steadied his bandaged hands.

"Can you stand?"

Jack nodded as she offered her shoulder as support as he put his weight on his feet.

He leaned against the wall wrapped in the quilt as she quickly pulled the bloodstained linen off the cot and put fresh sheets on. Then she handed him a clean prison uniform, and helped him dress.

"Your legs are still healing!" she scolded as she helped him back to the cot. "Take your time." Reaching back into the basket, she pulled out a fresh quilt and wrapped it around him. "Don't rush it. Your body heals quickly, but needs more time."

She handed him a soft bread roll she had saved from her dinner. He accepted it gratefully.

"My name is Genna," she said quietly, glancing again at the camera eye.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said as he grasped her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

She startled as she discovered the right hand was whole again. The she turned away from the camera, leaned close and whispered. "You are in great danger."

Jack nodded. He started to speak, but stopped at the sound of footsteps in the hall approaching the cell and the sound of a key in the lock. Maloc swung the door open and ushered in the Commander followed by the couple he met on Serrelia. The colorful silk robes and hats worn at the market were replaced by the efficient lines of black military garb revealing only the slight bulge of hidden weapons.

Gemma stood as they entered, bowing her head.

"You are dismissed, Gemma," said the Commander.

"My patient is still weak," she said softly. "He requires…"

"You are needed elsewhere," the Commander said brusquely. "The children are arriving and you need to settle the young ones in their quarters." He noted her reluctance to leave the Captain's side. "You may return and check on his progress."

Maloc bristled at her, but kept quiet. Genna shot him a withering glance as she left the room.

Maloc started towards Jack, but the Commander waved him back. The Captain struggled to sit up, bracing his back against the wall under the guard's withering stare.

The Commander turned to the couple. "He says his name is Captain Jack Harkness. Jai, where have you seen him before?"

"He approached Kira at our stall saying he was a soldier for hire buying silk scarves to give to his conquests during his travels. "said the man as the woman nodded. "He invited us for drinks, nothing unusual, but it was after he started asking about the disappearance of children that I became suspicious. When I noticed the wrist strap that he had hidden under the sleeve of his coat, I knew he was an agent."

"We had finished our training at the Time Agency and were getting ready to go on our first mission, when he came in a batch of new recruits," replied the woman. "I remember because he was full of himself, pretty boy, flirting with everyone."

"His nickname was 'Blue', but never caught his real name," said Jai. "It was common to use several alias and identities in our line of work. The Agency mainframe records were destroyed when it was disbanded and those who were left scattered throughout time. Only fragments of information are left. So Jack is as good as any other name…but he is an agent…and knows too much about the children."

Jack remained quiet.

"So he is a danger to us?" asked the Commander.

"I'm sure of it," replied the woman.

The Commander asked, "You saw him die?"

"Killed him myself with a shot through the head," said Kira. "But after 30 minutes he gasped back to life. Shot him again through the heart, but he was back in an hour completely healed. That's when we bound him to take him here. We beat him to take the fight out to get him here and found if you don't kill him outright, it takes him longer to recover and he is easier to manage.

The Commander folded his arms and turned to Jack.

"You are a problem, 'Captain'. I can't hire you, I can't kill you, and I can't let you go."

Jack looked up at them, and said nothing.

Maloc stepped forward. "May I suggest a solution, sir."

The Commander turned to him. "I'm listening."

"A man who cannot die has value." Maloc walked over to Jack and grabbed his right hand. The fingers was still raw, but whole. "I took three fingers from him yesterday, yet look… the hand has mended!" He reached down with the other hand, and forced Jack's head up to give them a better look. "Cuts, burns, broken bones, all healed!"

Jack glowered at Maloc and tried to pull away. "Think of the medical experiments or weapon research that could be done on a man such as this," Maloc continued. 'He suffers, he dies, and comes back for more." Maloc leaned down close to Jack. "And he is handsome. Think of the possibilities, of the clients that will bid for a man such as this."

"That's enough!" snapped the Commander.

The guard released his grip on Jack, stood up, and returned to his place by the door.

The woman smiled and said, "He has a point, sir. The Captain is quite skilled... in many areas." She winked at the prisoner as her partner scowled.

Jack turned away.

"Commander," said Maloc. "Perhaps more tests would help the clients decide his best use?"

"No need," rebuffed the Commander. "The bidders will determine use. I have no appetite for torture." He folded his arms again. "The analysis of his clothing is almost finished and may reveal more. Cle, do a data search on this name and broaden it. The clothing is a period military dress from Earth. Find what you can on a Captain Jack Harkness."

As he turned to leave, he stopped to address Maloc. "I'm reassigning you to improve our security. Although we haven't detected any suspicious patterns, he was wearing this tracker before they brought him here." He handed him a small devise wrapped in a green cloth. "Someone is looking for him…and knows about the children. Cle will take over guard duty and Gemma will continue to care for him. I want him healthy so he fetches a good price."

The guard frowned in disappointment.

The Commander looked at Jack as he continued. "If he becomes a problem, you can have your toy back." Maloc brightened.

He turned to the couple. "Thank you for bringing him to my attention, but you are behind in your deliveries. The auction is in two weeks."


End file.
